Malteser Hilfsdienst e.V. | |
![]() | |
Abbreviation | MHD |
---|---|
Formation | 1953 |
Type | Non-profit |
Purpose | First aid, civil protection, social and health services |
Headquarters | Cologne, Germany |
Region served | Germany |
Website | Official website |
Malteser Hilfsdienst e.V. is a Catholic relief and social service organisation in Germany founded in 1953 by the German association of the Order of Malta. [1] Based in Cologne, it provides first-aid training, civil protection, disaster response and other social and health services. [2] [3]
Malteser Hilfsdienst early overseas work included refugee assistance during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and a major medical relief programm in South Vietnam. [4] In 2005 its international activities were reorganised as Malteser International, designated the worldwide relief agency of the Order of Malta. [5]
Organization operates nationwide through regional and local branches, delivering first-aid education, emergency medical cover at events, and volunteer civil protection units, alongside social programs such as support for refugees, the homeless, and people without health insurance. [6] [7]